The Commission, in turn, appoints a Director to serve as the chief administrative officer of the Department.

[3] The Department was created in 1956 during the term of Governor Raymond D. Gary by an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution.

Before the Department's addition to the State's Constitution, its duties existed in some form or format with the occasional interruption since the first Game Warden was hired in 1909.

[6] The Wildlife Conservation Department, with an annual budget of over $40 million, is one of the larger employers of the State.

[8] Since the establishment of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, three officers have died while on duty.